Lost in all the announcements about Timeline and frictionless experiences at Facebook’s F8 conference in September was a change to the Open Graph that had developers salivating.

Instead of being restricted to simply “liking” a page or post, Facebook announced you could “verb any noun.” That means you can “watch” a movie, “cook” a recipe or “hike” a trail. Developers can dictate those terms, creating custom user experiences for their sites. However there is one caveat.

Many developers saw this as the green light to create a “dislike” button on Facebook, a much debated add-on that millions of users are petitioning for via various Facebook groups. However, those hopes are quickly dashed during the Open Graph development process, when developers who typed “dislike” received this message:

Other words like “loathe” and “doesn’t like” aren’t on the blocked list, leading you to infer “dislike” was specifically excluded, presumably along with a laundry list of profanities. But why would Facebook block what at least a vocal minority are clamoring for? And the better question is, should they?

I used to be a supporter of adding the “dislike” button right next to “like.” Many blogs and sites like YouTube employ a “thumbs up/down” graphic alongside every video or comment. However in learning more about the issue and the potential ramifications, I’ve been convinced otherwise.

For Facebook, it comes down to money. The site has built a platform that is without a doubt the most targeted marketing tool for brands of all sizes. Where else can you target potential customers down to their specific interests, age, sex and zip code? Sure, dissatisfied users can post negative comments on a brand’s page, but that company has complete control to moderate and address those issues.

A “dislike” button has entirely different implications. Rather than encouraging people to “like” its own page, a company could promote the link to “dislike” its competition. There is nothing illegal about this type of hostile environment, but it is not business friendly. Remember that advertisers are the ones funding your beloved social network.

The arguments in favor of a “dislike” button are reasonable enough; however, they don’t outweigh the potentially disastrous negatives. Users understandably don’t feel comfortable “liking” a status update about a friend’s dog being put to sleep, but they may want to click a “dislike” button in order to be alerted of other comments on that post. The easy solution is to simply comment on the post with your condolences. If you’re concerned enough to want to stay in the loop, you should be concerned enough to post your sympathies. Consider the flip side, with people able to “dislike” your wedding photos or the announcement of your new nephew. Granted, as my mother would say, those people aren’t your real friends, but the opportunity for cyber-bullying is a far bigger concern than the need to subscribe to posts.

While I’m against a Facebook sanctioned “dislike” button on every post for the reasons above, I don’t agree that developers should be prohibited from making their own. I could see a group like PETA creating an app on its page that lets you dislike the concept of clubbing of baby seals, much like a petition. But they shouldn't be able to elicit people to dislike a specific company. Users have a variety of other ways to express their concerns with those they disagree with.

There are legitimate uses for a “dislike” button, but putting them on every page is unnecessary — and it’s asking for trouble. Facebook knows better than to bite the hand that feeds it, and as an advertiser on the platform, I have to agree.

What do you think? Should there be a button on every page? Should developers be allowed to create one, or should Facebook continue on its current path?

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